Starting background recording keeps popping up when you switch to another program or window? Do you know why you get constantly spammed by the Xbox Game Bar recording notification? How to turn off or disable background recording on Windows 10/11? Fret not; all these issues will be discussed in this article.

Key Takeaways:

A starting background recording notification keeps popping up once you turn on the background recording feature of the Xbox Game Bar.

To stop the notification from appearing constantly, turn off the Game Bar background recording feature.

To disable Windows 10 or 11 background recording, go to Windows Settings or Xbox Game Bar Settings.

If you switch from one program to another or quickly jump to one window and back, you may find the Game Bar popup of "Starting background recording" and "Microphone recording is on." appear in the middle right corner of your screen.

This is annoying and may kill your FPS when you play games. Things worsen if you use something like Geforce record last 30 seconds to clip gameplay moments. Even though you click the Close button to end the popup temporarily, the notification will pop up again the next time.

Why does starting background recording keep popping up suddenly?

Generally, the Xbox background recording feature is not turned on by default on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. You receive this notification constantly because you've enabled the background recording feature in the Windows or Game Bar settings.

Although this feature is helpful when you want to capture the last few gameplay moments before they are gone, it can affect game performance, especially when you use this screen recorder for low end PC.

To prevent the starting background recording window from popping up again, turn off the background recording feature.

If you have no idea how to disable the Game Bar background recording feature, move to the next part for a detailed guide.

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There are two ways to disable or remove the "Starting background recording" notification in Windows 10 and 11: via Windows Settings or Game Bar Settings.

You can disable starting background recording by changing the capture settings in the Xbox Game Bar.

See the steps for how to turn off background recording Xbox Game Bar:

Step 1. Access Game Bar capture settings.

There are two options:

1️⃣Click the "Settings" icon from the "Starting background recording" popup directly.

2️⃣Press the "Windows + G" keys to launch the Game Bar interface. Then, click the "Settings" icon.

 Notice: Refer to Windows Game Bar not opening if needed.  

Step 2. Uncheck the background recording box.

Click "Widgets" from the left panel on the Xbox Game Bar Settings window. Then, uncheck the "Record in the background while I'm playing a game" and "Show microphone recording notifications" boxes.

Step 3. Close the Xbox capture settings window and try again.

Click "x" to close the settings window and exit the Game Bar. Now, you can switch from windows or programs to see if the starting background recording keeps popping up.

 Notice: The "Record last 30 seconds" option on Xbox Game Bar Capture window will be turned off. Click the icon to turn on the background recording feature or press "Windows + Alt + G" if you need to use it. This operation will not make the "Starting background recording" popup appear.  

It is also feasible to turn off Game Bar background recording on Windows 11 and 10 from the Windows Settings. Thus, you can improve gameplay performance in games like Rocket League.

See the steps for how to turn off background recording Windows 11/10:

Step 1. Launch Settings on your Windows 10 or 11 computer.

For Windows 10: Right-click on "Start" and select "Settings" from the menu, or press "Windows + I" keys together.

For Windows 11: Click "Start" and click "Settings" from the list, or press the "Windows + I" keys together.

Step 2. Toggle off the background recording option Xbox Game Bar.

For Windows 10: Navigate to "Gaming" > "Captures". Toggle off "Record in the background while I'm playing a game" under "Background Recording".

For Windows 11: Navigate to "Gaming" > "Captures". Toggle off "Record what happened" under "Recording preferences".

Step 3. Close the Settings window and restart your PC.

Click the x button to close the Settings window. Restart your desktop or laptop to check whether the starting background recording keeps popping up issue still exists.

 Tip: To turn on background recording Xbox Game Bar in Windows 10 and 11, go to "Settings" > "Gaming" > "Captures"; toggle on "Record what happened" or "Record in the background while I'm playing a game".  

🔗Read also: How to Disable Xbox Game Bar in Windows 11/10 Permanently

Xbox Game Bar is a great screen capture tool built into Windows 10 and 11, which lets users take screenshots, record what happened, and record the screen with a mic and system audio.

However, there are some limitations of Windows Game Bar:

Use a free screen recorder like EaseUS RecExperts if you want a Game Bar alternative. This easy-to-use screen recording software supports both Windows and Mac versions.

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Look at its main recording features and capabilities.

Let's see how to use EaseUS RecExperts to screen record gameplay, YouTube, or online meetings.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts and adjust your recording settings.

Before you start recording, you can customize your settings by clicking the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner and selecting Settings. From there, you can change the save location, video format, frame rate, audio format, and other preferences. All changes will be saved automatically.

Step 2. Choose a recording mode based on your needs.

On the main interface, you'll see several recording options: Full Screen, Custom, Window, Game, Audio, and Webcam. Simply click the one that matches what you want to record.

Step 3. Set up your webcam and audio sources.

In the toolbar, you can turn the Webcam, Speaker, and Microphone on or off by clicking their icons. If multiple devices are connected, click the small arrow next to each icon to choose your preferred input source.

Step 4. Start and control the screen recording.

Click the red REC button to begin recording. A floating toolbar will appear on your screen, where you can pause the recording using the pause icon or stop it by clicking the red square icon.

Step 5. Preview, edit, and manage your recordings.

Once you stop recording, you'll be taken to the preview window. Here, you can watch your video, trim it, add watermarks, transcribe audio to text, and organize your recordings. To record again with the same settings, just click the REC button in the top-left corner.

Now, you know why and how to fix starting background recording keeps popping up in Windows 10 and 11. To stop the notification, turn off the Xbox Game Bar background recording.

If you are looking for the best alternative to Xbox Game Bar recording, download and use EaseUS RecExperts for free.

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Learn more frequently asked questions and answers about starting background recording of Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 and 11 computers.

The "background recording" or "record what happened" on the Xbox Game Bar is a Windows 10 and 11 feature that lets you automatically record gameplay in the background without manually starting the recording session.

The feature is particularly useful for those who want to save a surprise achievement, an epic moment in a game, or any other gameplay highlights without affecting the consistency.

Game Bar allows you to set different auto-recording durations: 15 seconds, 30 seconds (by default), 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes.

If you want to completely turn off the screen recording feature in Windows 10, disable the Xbox Game Bar. Here's how to do it:

Step 1. Click on the Start menu, select the gear icon, or press Windows + I on your keyboard.

Step 2. Click on the "Gaming" option in the Settings window.

Step 3. In the "Xbox Game Bar" section, switch off the toggle for "Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar."

Step 4. Click on "Captures" in the left sidebar, and under "Background recording," switch off the toggle.

If you have any third-party screen recording software, disable or uninstall those applications directly from their settings or from the Control Panel.

To adjust the capture settings of the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 and 11:

Step 1. Press "Windows + G" on your keyboard to open the Xbox Game Bar.

Step 2. Click the "gear" icon in the Game Bar overlay to open settings.

Step 3. Here, you can adjust settings such as audio capture, video quality, and whether to record in the background.

To adjust the capture settings of the Snipping Tool on Windows 11:

Step 1. Type "Snipping Tool" in the Start menu and open it.

Step 2. In Snipping Tool, click the "three horizontal dots" in the toolbar to access its settings.

Step 3. Here, you can choose the default snip type, enable or disable the option for adding ink to snips, and configure other preferences.